Samuel l



(No Model.)

S. L. MOTT.

RUNNING BOARD FOR FREIGHT CARS.

No. 427,598. Patented May 13, 1890.

INVENTUR:

Samuel 032D UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL L. MOTT, OF NEWARK, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-TIIIRDS TOCHARLES E. CAMPBELL AND CHARLES G.

SAME PLACE.

CAMPBELL, BOTH OF RUNNING-BOARD FO R FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,598, dated May 13,1890.

Application filed April '7, 1890. Serial No. 846,874. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. MOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing atNewa-rk, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, 11aveinventedcertai 11 new an d useful Improvements in Running-Boards forFreight-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention'relates to a combined safety and running board forfreightcars, and has for its object to provide the terminating ends ofthe running-boards on such cars with pivoted or hinged boards orbridges, which are so constructed as to extend from one ear to anotherwhen coupled, and thereby form a continuous running-board from end toend of train.

A further object of the invention is to construct such connectingbridges in sections which are adapted to be folded one upon the other,whereby the bridge can be brought from its hanging positionand'connected with the next car after the cars have been coupled.

Furthermore, the invention consists in providing the running-board of acar near its ends with a means for holding or locking the bridge orconnectingboard of the rear or last car in a vertical position,whichacts as a safetyboard and prevents the train-1nen from accidentallystepping off a car on a dark night.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which similar referencelettersare used to indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 represents a. trainof cars in side elevation provided with my improved running-boards. Fig.2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 shows the ends of two adjoiningcars,illustrating the positions of the diiferent parts of the jointedconnecting-board while being raised from its vertical or hangingposition onto the next car; and Fig. 4. represents a running-boardprovided with a means for holding or looking the connectingboard in avertical position- 3, said bridges ct are constructed to be folded inthe middle, and are made of two pieces a and a which are jointed orpivotallysecured together by means of hinges I). These boards or bridgesa, when not in use, may be allowed to hang down the side of the cars, asis clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, or the same can be thrown back uponits hinges b, so that it will lie on the running-board A, as shown tothe rightof Fig. 2. hen in this position, the board a. can simply bethrown overonto the next car when they have been coupled; but whenhanging in a vertical position between two coupled cars the bridges asheretofore made could not be raised so as to communicate with the nextcar. As clearly shown in Fi 3, this difficulty has been overcome byconstructing the board of two pieces and connecting them by means of thehinges b, whereby the bridge can readily be raised and the part a thrownon the next car, as will be evident from said figure. The hinges b areof such a construction that when the board a connects two cars they willtend to hold the parts a and a in a straight line and stiffen the same,so that a train-hand can safely walk over the bridge. The end of theparts a? of the bridge may be chamfered, as at (L to cause the same toslide freely upon the running-board of the next car, which is of greatadvantage, espe cially when two cars of different heights are coupledtogether, as shown at the left of Fig. 1. In Fig. at is illustrated onemeans for holding or looking the connecting-bridge in position at aright angle to the running-board. By this means the board at the end ofthe last car of a train can be held in this position, and thereby actsas a guard and prevents the train-hand from accidentally jumping off thecar.

The construct-ion shown in Fig. at consists of attaching to one or bothsides of the running board on a car arod c, secured by means of a stapleor pin 0', provided with a hook 0 which engages with an eye or staple aon the side of the connecting-board when the latter is raised in avertical position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A freight-carprovided on either or both ends with a bridge or platform consisting oftwo hinged portions adapted to be folded one upon the other, one ofwhich is hinged to the extremity of the running-board on one car, whilethe other portion is caused to rest upon the top of the next car, uponwhich it may freely slide, said bridge being adapted by means of thehinged portions to be raised from its hanging position between two carswhen coupled, as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination, with two coupled freight-cars, of a connecting boardor bridge consisting of portions a and a secured by means of hinges b,one of said portions, as a, being attached by means of hinges b to onecar, whereby said board may be raised from its hanging position betweensaid cars and thrown over onto the next car without uncoupling saidcars, as and for the purposes set forth.

3; In combination with the roof of a car,

the running-board provided with connecting boards or bridges made up ofsections adapted to be folded one upon the other, for the purposes setforth.

4. In combination with the roof of a car, the running-board providedwith connecting boards or bridges made up of sections adapted to befolded one upon the other, and one of said sections being chainfered atits free end, which, when the cars are coupled, rests upon the top ofthe running-board of the next car and slides thereon, as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. A freight-car provided on either or both ends of the running-boardwith a hinged or pivoted connecting board or bridge and. means forholding or locking said board in a vertical position, as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention as set forth above I havehereunto set my hand this 4th day of April, 1890.

SAMUEL L. MO'IT.

WVitnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, CHAS. B. CAMPBELL.

